One of the staple exercises performed in strength training is the push up. The push up is used to increase musculature in the upper body. Through the range of motion in a traditional push up, the pectorals, triceps, etc. are accessed in order to allow a person to vertically translate their body in an upwardly direction away from the ground.
The push up exercise is typically performed with a user's hands directly underneath their shoulders. Often, the elbows are disposed at a right angle with the upper arms disposed substantially parallel with the ground. As a result, the load displacement can be harsh for some user's with weakened wrists, elbows and attendant joints. These discomforts can ultimately discourage a person from performing push ups with proper technique.
In addition, another problem found in the exercise of a typical push up is the fact that push ups do not necessarily strengthen all of the muscles found in the upper body. Since the push up is typically performed at the same angle, only a fraction of a person's upper body muscles are firing in order to lift and lower a person's body during the exercise.
Therefore, what is clearly needed in the art is an apparatus which enables a user to access and target a larger number of upper body muscles with a modified push up utilizing a pronating push up apparatus. The apparatus should be customizable, and should enable a user to properly execute a proper push up.